Microchipping people: Associate Professor Katina Michael at TEDxUWollongong
The speaker presents a disturbing look at the future of microchipping, arguing that personal identification will be replaced by implants, which diminishes individual autonomy and raises profound ethical questions about human control. The progression moves from the ENIAC to modern biometrics, illustrating a pattern where technology evolves from external calculation aids to internal biological governance systems. This escalating reliance on embedded technology suggests a future where society itself risks being fundamentally controlled by its own infrastructure. ## Speakers & Context - Unnamed speaker giving a presentation on the future prospects of microchipping people. - The presentation is framed as a "whirlwind Tour" and a challenge to the audience regarding technology's role in identity. - The speaker references interviews with real people and observations, though the scenarios presented are hypothetical. ## Theses & Positions - Every single piece of ID currently owned will eventually be replaced by a tiny microchip implant, described as being "about the size of a grain of rice." - The body risks becoming an extension of the computer, rather than the technology being an external tool. - The speaker frames the technology's development as a loss of human autonomy and dignity, suggesting that "we will lose our ability to make decisions for ourselves." - The core conflict is the shift from external aids (like the ENIAC) to internal embodiment, leading to the risk of the Machine ruling over humanity. - The speaker suggests that the evolution of technology points toward a future where society *is* technology, rather than just utilizing it. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Microchip implant:** A planned replacement for all existing forms of personal identification. - **Biometic engineering:** Described as evidence that the deaf will hear, the blind will see, and the mute will speak. - **Cyborg 1.0:** Receiving an implant (e.g., in the arm) that interacts with external systems like RFID readers for basic functions (opening doors, turning on lights). - **Cyborg 2.0:** Advanced interface involving neural connection (e.g., 100 micro electrode array fired up to median nerve fibers) allowing communication and remote control via thought/gesture. - **Single sign-on:** A system allowing users access without needing to remember multiple passwords or carry physical items like keys/cards. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **ENIAC Calculation:** Used initially in World War II to calculate ballistic equations and trajectories, speeding up a process taking "usually about 12 hours" down to "30 seconds." - **The Body as Extension:** A concept illustrated by Eduardo Katz, where the body integrates technology such that the body seems to function *with* the computer, rather than the computer merely assisting the body. - **Electronic Access Control:** Utilization of RFID readers, exemplified by implanted chips used for access control in offices and vehicles. - **Neural Interface Operation:** The process allowing a user to communicate (via Morse code) and control external objects (like wheelchairs) using signals sent to the median nerve fibers. - **Market Deployment:** Specific implementation examples include implants for "Club patronage," "Access Control," and "electronic payments" (Baja Beach Club chain). ## Timeline & Sequence - **World War II:** Initial use of the ENIAC for ballistic equation calculations. - **1946:** The ENIAC revolutionizes computation, leading to headlines like *"new Wonder brain Army robot brain mechanical whiz kid better than Einstein."* - **Post-ENIAC:** Vacuum tubes are replaced sequentially by transistors, and then by microchips. - **Period 1 (Performance Art):** Eduardo Katz implants a device in his leg and registers on a pet database (Time-Capture). - **Period 2 (Early Implant):** Professor Kevin Warick receives an implant (Cyborg 1.0) from George Bullos for rudimentary access control. - **Period 3 (Advanced Interface):** Warick undergoes procedures resulting in Cyborg 2.0 capabilities (neural control, remote object control). - **Current/Near Future:** Real-world deployments observed (Baja Beach Club, correctional services, etc.). ## Named Entities - **University of Pennsylvania** — Institution associated with the ENIAC's development. - **Eduardo Katz** — Bio artist in Brazil who performed the first implant demonstration. - **Kevin Warwick** — Professor who participated in Cyborg 1.0 and 2.0 experiments. - **George Bullos** — Family doctor who administered the initial implant to Kevin Warwick. - **Israel** (implied via Attorney General context) — Location where a specific access control consideration was noted. ## Numbers & Data - ENIAC weight: **Over 30 tons**. - ENIAC length: **Over 100 ft**. - ENIAC vacuum tubes: **18,000**. - ENIAC speed improvement: From **12 hours** to **30 seconds**. - Implant detection capability: Demonstrated via **radio frequency identification readers**. - Electrode array size: **100 micro electrode array**. - Market share for correctional services: **25%** (in Australia). - Years of technology progression: Spanning from WWII to the present/near future. ## Examples & Cases - **ENIAC operation:** Calculating ballistic equations. - **Eduardo Katz's performance:** Implanting an implant in his left leg, then registering on a pet database online. - **Kevin Warwick's initial walk:** Doors miraculously opened in front of him due to rigged RFID readers. - **Kevin Warwick's advanced control:** Operating a wheelchair or controlling remote objects over the Internet just by opening/closing his hand. - **Baja Beach Club:** Using implants for access control and electronic payments. - **Mexico Attorney General:** Using an implant for Access Control and security. - **Parolees:** Using invisible implants for better rehabilitation chances compared to visible GPS anklets. - **Student scenario (Act One):** Using an implant for *single sign-on* to access all cloud services (iTunes, etc.), eliminating the need for cash or keys. - **Entrepreneur scenario (Act Two):** Deploying implants in Alzheimer's patients for controlled safety in care facilities, and in correctional services for invisible tracking. - **Mentally Ill Patient scenario (Act Three):** Losing ability to resist implantation due to anxiety/fear, leading to loss of agency (e.g., suspecting drug release). ## Tools, Tech & Products - **ENIAC** (Electro-mechanical/electronic computer). - **Vacuum tubes** (Early computing component). - **Transistors** (Replacement for vacuum tubes). - **Microchips** (Modern replacement for vacuum tubes/transistors). - **Animal injector kit** (Tool used by bio-artist Eduardo Katz). - **Pet database** (Online registry used by Katz). - **RFID readers** (System rigged to automatically grant access when an implant is near). - **100 micro electrode array** (Implanted technology for neural interface). - **Internet/Cloud:** The infrastructure connecting all services, allowing "single sign on." - **GPS anklets** (Old, visible tracking method being replaced). ## References Cited - The concept of "the deaf will hear and have heard the blind will see the mute will speak" is cited as a general pattern of technological advancement. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Physical Keys/Cards/Passwords:** Replaced by implants and single sign-on systems. - **Visible Tracking:** Replaced by invisible, internal implants (e.g., parolees). - **External Computing (ENIAC):** Replaced by internalized, bio-integrated computation (Cyborg 2.0). - **Analog Security:** Replaced by digital, networked, and biometric security systems. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The presentation states that the scenarios shown are *not necessarily* the speaker's beliefs but derived from observing real people and consulting credible futurists. - The speaker notes that the proposed systems are intended to *improve* safety (e.g., Alzheimer's patients cannot wander). - The speaker acknowledges that the scenario depicting the mentally ill patient highlights extreme loss of autonomy, which forces consideration of the "moral and ethical dilemmas." ## Methodology - Presentation format: Using historical technical milestones (ENIAC) as a baseline for predicting future bio-integration. - Data sourcing: Based on reports from real people, observation, and consultations with futurists and international laboratories. - Scenario creation: Employing three distinct hypothetical scenarios (young adult, corporation, patient) to illustrate spectrum of application. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The speaker concludes that the advancement is inevitable because technology is being explicitly linked to biological function (teleology). - The core ethical mandate is to remain mindful of misuse, recognizing that the potential for benefit (biomedical engineering) is matched by the risk of loss of self-determination. - The central question left for the audience is: *"who will control this emerging new smart surveillance infrastructure and what will be the rights of the controlled?"* ## Implications & Consequences - The most profound consequence is the shift in sovereignty: society moving from regulating behavior to governing the *ability* to act, as bodies become controllable nodes in a network. - The ultimate risk is that the human capacity for self-governance is superseded by the technical infrastructure. - The trend moves from technology *assisting* life to technology *governing* existence. ## Verbatim Moments - *"Every single piece of ID that you own will be replaced with a tiny microchip implant about the size of a grain of rice."* - *"it is as if the body has become an extension of the computer and not the other way around."* - *"Ladies and gentlemen, this was an Alexander grey and bill moment in consequence that the world missed in cbor 2.0."* - *"I've got the I plant I feel one with technology I feel wiress man the network."* - *"I don't have to remember any passwords I don't carry batter I don't need keys I don't need cables and wires which I always confuse and leave behind."* - *"The Alzheimer's Market is beyond a doubt the one that is gaining the most traction."* - *"I can't even get a job without them scanning my iplant."* - *"We who created the computer will invite it into our body to govern us and the Machine itself will rule over us."* - *"who will control this emerging new smart surveillance infrastructure and what will be the rights of the controlled"*